Permanent Marker
by Uchihaflower14
Summary: Sasuke is bent up over his break up with the love of his life. When he meets someone new at a coffee shop, his heart stirs and he can only think of her. Unfortunately for him, she is already dating a billionaire. Can he steal her heart away?
1. Extra Caffeine Anyone?

Permanent Marker- A Naruto AU by:

Uchihaflower14

Sasuke Uchiha sat alone at a counter in Starbucks cafe. In his right hand he held a steaming extra-caffeine chocolate mocha cappuccino with mint foam. In his left he held a small 2x3 photo of a smiling pink haired girl in a jade green dress. " She looks so beautiful in green," he thought sadly. "It compliments her eyes."

His thoughts were interrupted when a young woman sat next to him. She had long blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail, her eyes were electric blue and highly understanding, and she wore purple gym clothes which were surprisingly flattering for being gym clothes. "You okay?" she asked smilingly.

"Hnnn..." he vacantly replied.

"It's about her, isn't it?" The girl pointed at the picture in his hand.

" What makes you think that?" he said defensively as he stowed it back in his wallet.

"Oh, just the general behavior. Moody responses, staring at her picture, and the extra caffeine cappuchino you have in your hand," she answered. Her bright eyes gazed kindly into his own as she put her hand on his shoulder, "But you know what they say, 'Love makes time pass; time makes love pass.' "

"Who was this girl? Who did she think she was that she could lecture him about love," he thought angrily. But, instead of voicing his opinion, he asked her a question, "How did you know my coffee has extra caffeine?"

She beamed. "It says so on the sticker."

"Wow, Sasuke. Of course, it says so on the sticker," he thought disparagingly. And suddenly, he couldn't explain why, but he found himself _wanting _to talk to her and tell her about the breakup. He _wanted _to tell her how out of the blue it had been, and how perfect their life together used to be.

" Where do I start?" he said quietly. She stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm... I have time. Why don't you start at the beginning? That's always easiest."

"Hnn." He stared at the ceiling, and little by little the story came out. He gained slowly gained confidence as he went on, and soon found himself pouring out his heart to her. He didn't have many guy friends he could tell this stuff to; it would ruin his Mr. Untouchable image.

"I was six when we really met. We went to the same kindergarten, but we never really got to know each other. In first grade though, Naruto Uzamaki came to school. He was everything I wanted to be. He was kind, brave, and had a way of making everyone around him feel happy. We became rivals. We would have little battles. Who could climb up the basketball pole the farthest. Who could drink their orange juice the fastest. All little kid stuff. I always won until that day. It was winter and bitterly cold. My first grade teacher, Mister Iruka, took the lot of us down to Harlem Meer. It was frozen over and we were going to go ice-skating. Our teacher warned us not to go over to the far side out of his sight because it wasn't fully frozen over. Like idiots that we were, Naruto and I completely ignored her warning. Naruto whispered to me that we should go see who could cross it the fastest. We snuck away easily. Mr. Iruka was distracted and lecturing Kiba not to bring dogs to school. We didn't notice that one of our classmates was following us. 'On your mark, get set, go!' yelled Naruto. We sprinted across the ice. I was ahead of him until I looked back. I lost my balance and went flying across the ice. I hit one of the weaker sections really hard, and fell through. The water was enough to freeze h-ll over. I couldn't breathe at all. I felt myself slipping under the surface. I lost hope of ever seeing my parents again. And then, I felt hands tugging my up. I was pulled out, and wrapped in a fuzzy green blanket. I looked up at my rescuer. It was a girl. She had jade green eyes the exact same shade as the blanket that she had wrapped me in. That's when I remembered who she was- Haruno, Sakura. She was the one who always stood alone at recess, clutching her blanket and watching the rest of us play. That day, I fell in love with her. That day I swore that I would never let her go," he said softly. "Little did I know that one day she would let me go. I don't even know what I did wrong. When we were sixteen, I asked her to go out with me. She said yes. We were so happy. We dated for nine years, and then last month, she just came up and told me it was over. She didn't even cry. But I did. I cried for all the years that I had lost over her. I cried for all the heartbreak I was having over her. I cried for all the times that I told her I loved her and she didn't reply. I asked her if she would stay, if we could get counseling or something. But she just smiled at me and shook her head. 'I need to move on, Sasuke,' she said." Sasuke looked at the girl to his right. She was watching him in rapturous silence.

"I was going to ask her to marry me," he added so quietly that only the girl could hear.

"Oh, Sasuke," she breathed, " how awful."

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You're probably another fan girl who's just glad I'm available." She pretended to be offended.

" I don't even know you! And anyway, I am very happily in a relationship right now thank you." He smirked at her.

"Of course, you are."

"But I am!" she laughed, and pulled out a picture from her purse. "See, Sasuke! Look right there! That's him." Sasuke took the photo from her. He immediately sobered.

"This is Shikamaru Nara," he said with his eyebrow raised.

"Uh huh! That's my favorite picture of him."

" Isn't he the one who dropped out of college to design computers and is currently a billionaire?"

"Yup! He's a genius but normally he doesn't apply himself."

"I see." Sasuke pushed the image back across the table to her. He should have known. Her purse and sunglasses were Gucchi, her earrings and choker were real diamonds, and she had on a pure gold bracelet. She was probably spoiled and stuck up. But he sneaked another peak at her face. His gut instinct told him that she wasn't like that. In all the time that they had been together she hadn't interrupted him once to talk about herself. She had just listened patiently with those great empathetic blue eyes. Now that he thought of it, he didn't know anything about her. He had been going on about himself the whole time.

"So," he began, "here I've been talking about myself all this time, and I don't know anything about you."

She smiled evasively. "Of course you do, Sasuke. I'm in a relationship with Shikamaru. I go to the gym a lot. I like jewelry. I'm perceptive. I talk to strangers. I'm a good listener. I go to Starbucks on the weekends and order a latte with extra cream."

Sasuke shook his head. "I would only know that if I was as perceptive as you are." She giggled.

"Well we can work on that." She put a little piece of paper in his hand. "Now you know my name and my number."

As she walked away, Sasuke watched her go. A quote came to his mind from one of the many books he had read. "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you."


	2. Everything She Wanted

"I'm here, Shika!" Ino Yamanaka called out.

" Hey, honey," he replied. He was cutting vegetables on a marble cutting board.

"Aww, you're actually making us dinner tonight? I thought we were going to order pizza for the rest of our lives."

"Ha ha, very funny." he said sarcastically but smiled at her. She came over and kissed his cheek softly. He brushed his hand affectionately over her hair. "Where were you this afternoon? I wanted to show you the new computer program I created."

" Sorry, sweetheart. I was at the gym working out." He studied her inquisitively.

"Why are you so obsessed with working out?"

"I have to look pretty for you and all the publicity we're getting." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"You always look pretty to me, no matter what," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Shika. I love you so much."

" I love you too, Babe. Now, should we use oregano or parsley on the zucchini?"

"Hmm.. Oregano. I love that taste." And so, they chopped and cooked and sprinkled and mixed. Ino watched her boyfriend happily. This was the life. Great boyfriend, good food, great friends, and good income. She wouldn't mind living forever if this was what she got all day. She looked at the plaque Shikamaru had given her for Christmas. He had engraved it all by himself at a class that he had taken. It read, "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

"So true, Shika," she thought blissfully, " I never knew happiness until I met you." Then, for some inexplicable reason, the man from the coffee shop popped into her head. He had thought he found his happy ending, too. Were all happy endings doomed from the start?

Little did Ino know, but soon she would be wrestling with this very question as everything she thought to be her life, fell apart.


	3. Of Suns and Shopping

Ino yawned, and pulled her sheets closer. The morning chill seeped through the thin blankets causing her to shiver slightly. She stretched her sore muscles; she really had done too many partial curls yesterday. Then, she tiptoed to the window. Throwing back the curtain, she let the warm September sunshine stream through onto her pale skin. This was a morning tradition of hers that she never failed to repeat. She was like a flower in that she loved the sun. She loved the feeling of its heat on her bare arms. She loved the shimmer that it gave everything when it was _really _hot. Most of all though, she loved that it represented happiness. "Shika kun is like my own personal sun," she thought as she tiptoed to her closet.

Looking at her enormous wardrobe, she wondered what she could possibly choose to wear tonight. Each outfit was like a dear friend to her, and each represented a special occurrence. Here was her black halter-top that she had worn to her first date. This red ball gown she had worn to senior prom. Shika kun gave that gold jacket to her at the surprise party he threw her last year. And yet, nothing gave her that rush of ecstasy of finding that perfect outfit. This called for an emergency shopping trip. In a bout of excitement she called her best girl friend Tenten.

"Hello?" Tenten answered her phone sleepily.

"Tenten!" Ino squealed.

"Ino, I was asleep."

"Aww, Tenten don't be like that! I want you to come to with me to find an outfit for the premiere of _Delusions _that I'm going to with Shika kun. It would be so good for you to get out. You never go shopping!" Ino pleaded. Tenten sighed on the other line.

"Neji kept me up 'till two in the morning practicing his case with me. I think I'll fall asleep in the car if I try to go any where."

"Please?" she continued begging desperately. Ino _hated _shopping alone. Tenten groaned exasperatedly.

"Yay!" rejoiced Ino.

"Ino, that was not a yes!" replied Tenten.

"But it will be! You only groan when you're guilty and about to give in."

"Yeah, Yeah," Tenten grumbled. Ino knew her so well it was almost scary.

"Meet me at the Leighton's in an hour okay?"

"Whatever," Tenten yawned.

Ino gamboled cheerfully about her house. Shopping always made her joyful.


	4. Don't look back

Ino stepped carefully out of the limo clinging to Shikamaru's arm. She wobbled slightly on her tortoise shell stilettos as she stepped up onto the wet-from-the-rain pavement. "Ready?" asked Shikamaru.

"Ready," Ino agreed. Cameras clicked feverishly as the young couple traipsed down the red carpet. Ino pirouetted blithely, showing off her new moss-green v-necked dress. It was versatile and comfortable but when paired with spindly heels and her grandmother's sterling silver maple-leaf pendant, it was certainly suitable for red carpet nights. Shikamaru tugged impatiently on her arm and pulled her into the dimly lit theater. An explosion of sound hit their ears. Actors and actresses milled about nonchalantly, trying to talk over the blaring music. Even Amaya Von, the leading actress of her day, was there, chatting animatedly with a sharp-featured man in a pinstriped suit.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the speakers boomed, " Please take your seats, as _Delusions _will begin shortly."

"Come on Shika," Ino whispered. She clasped his hand and they went to find their seats. The velvet upholstery was warm and inviting after the stinging winds whirling outside. The lights slowly faded into nothingness and an expectant hush fell over the crowd. The screen illuminated showing the first shot. It was a laughing redheaded college girl. She was embraced by a tawny haired boy wearing a loose white shirt and tie. Farther down the beach a small wedding was being conducted. The soft music floated over to them, creating a tranquil mood. The camera did a close up of their faces. "Love," the boy crooned, " consists of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." The girl smiled and held his shirt possessively. "I know, Minato. An we'll always be in love."

The story flowed well and the plot was well defined and succinct. Ino cringed and buried her head in Shikamaru's shoulder when Minato was cornered by the drunk villains in the alley. She tried to suppress her sobs when he died in the cockfight that followed and his last words were _Kushina. _She laughed along with the audience, looking at Jiraiya's face when Kushina told him she was seeing visions of Minato. And she cried again in the end, when Kushina took her own life in order to stop, once and for all, the apparitions of her late fiancée that haunted her.

When it was over, Shikamrau helped her up. Before they had crossed the parking lot, Asuma, Shikamaru's mentor and director of his enterprise, waved for them to stop. He caught up with them and paused for a moment to catch his breath. "Party's been switched to the Embassy. Tsunade's sent directions."

"What!" Shikamaru complained, " Aww man. There's a huge party going on right next to it at Omni Shoreham. We'll never get parking. Ino, I forgot my coat, can you check my phone for the directions?"

"Sure, Babe. Is it in your regular messages?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Hon. I owe you one." he called over his shoulder. Ino watched them leave before flipping open his blackberry. The screen read, "One new message. Reply?"

"Ah, this must be it," Ino thought, and clicked the reply button. A small speech bubble appeared with the text inside it. It read, " Are you sure you can't sneak away from her tonight, Baby? –Temari," Ino's heart stopped. She felt her insides melt. "Oh my gosh," she whispered. All the signs were there of course. She had never thought anything before. He had never been worried about where she was before, but these days all he wanted to do was ask her where she was going and why. He had been a lot "busier" lately. Staying after at work for hours at a time. Sometimes when he arrived at a date, he was so late that she had already eaten. This had caused many arguments before, but they had always seemed to be able to get over it. He had bought her many more gifts than usual. She had read once in a magazine that this was a sign because they were "guilt gifts". Horrified, she dropped his phone on the cement. It broke with a satisfying crack. Should she wait and confront him? Or should she go and never look back? She went with the latter when she felt tears budding in her eyes. Her blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she fled to the car. She opened the limo door and got in. "Drive," she told the cabby.

"Ma'am?" the cabby asked, confused.

"Drive! Away. I don't care. Just get me away from here now." The limousine hummed to life, and she drove away from her forever.

"There are tissues in the left compartment," the cabby said, conversationally.

"Thank you," sniffed Ino. She grabbed one and blew her nose loudly. All she wanted was to go to bed. Her feet hurt from walking, her eyes hurt from crying, and she had a terrible headache. " I don't know why they call it a broken heart," she thought, "It feels like every part of me is broken." The city lights whizzed past her window. The cold air coming from the window felt strangely good. It was sucking the pain away from her, and left her feeling numb and empty. She wouldn't look back. Whatever happened, she wouldn't look back.


	5. Dear Cinderella

Sasuke was at the door cleaning his camera lense. Though he was a high rank police officer, his passionate hobby was taking pictures - something he wanted no one he knew to find out, but something that he loved enough to risk being caught. He often went to gatherings such as this premiere to get pictures of the stars. These he would post on his anonymous website. He had heard that Shikamaru was supposed to be here tonight but the movie was now over and he hadn't seen a mere glimpse of him. Or Ino he added as an afterthought. Ino had probably already forgotten about him, though. _He _had not forgotten, however. Twice that afternoon, he had reached for his phone and punched in her number. Twice, he had hung up when he heard it ringing. She was dating someone. He couldn't afford to get himself caught up in her. Just as he was thinking this, he saw her walk by with her boyfriend. She was wearing a flowing knee length gown and towering high heels. He had to admit that she looked amazing, but he still treasured the image of her in her gym shorts and tennis shoes. Though she had looked slightly ridiculous wearing work out clothes along with diamonds and gold, to him personally it made her all the more beautiful that she was willing to stand out. Such personality was a quality that Sasuke appreciated in women. He hated people who lived behind masks, pretending to be people they weren't in order to fit in.

As he watched, a man ran up to them. He exchanged some quick words with Shikamaru, after which both the men made their way back to the theater, leaving Ino alone by the limousine. Ino stood forlornly by the car looking after the two men. When they had gone, she began fiddling with the phone. Sasuke heard her gasp and exclaim as she read the message's contents. He watched as the phone fell from her hands, splitting on the sidewalk. Tears ran down her porcelain face, and she slammed the limousine's door. Sasuke ran across the parking lot. He wanted to help her, to ask her what was wrong.

The limousine started smoothly and sped away. Sasuke stopped where it had been parked. If he squinted, he could just make her out behind the limousine windows. She was sobbing.

Looking at his feet, he noticed something on the pavement. He bent down. It was a shoe. A green, tortoise shell patterned "towering high heel". It was Ino's. He would have laughed but the situation was too miserable. It was just like Cinderella. It was midnight, she had raced away from her prince, and she had forgotten her shoe. He looked at the size and _did _laugh. She wore a miniscule shoe size. He didn't know people's feet could _be _that small. He tucked it into his camera bag. He would find her and give it back even if he did have to search the land. Even if he did have to try the shoe on every foot. Then, he remembered that he had her number. He sighed. He really was and idiot.


	6. Obsession

Ino huffed. It was seven in the morning and she was running on a treadmill at Crunch gym. She had gotten up, eaten a protein bar, gotten dressed, and gone to the gym. She rubbed her eyes blearily. Maybe Shikamaru was right; she did have a problem with this gym obsession. She cringed internally at his name. It hurt so much. And, then she began to feel angry. It wasn't her fault! It was him who had cheated. He had gone back on everything that they had built for themselves the past three years. Every promise, every kiss was a lie to add to the score of walls that he had created. She couldn't believe that she had been so naive. But then again, it wasn't easy to accept that you're partner was a deceitful malignant swain. As her anger rose, so did her speed. She was flying. She was soaring!

Until, she fell off.


	7. Permanent Means Forever

...

Sorry, earlier I forgot to put the disclaimer on, so here it is. You do not need to read this.

*Disclaimer*- Although I wish I did, I do not own any part of Naruto. At all. I usually don't like Sasuino - I'm all for Sasusaku- but it just seemed so right to do in this circumstance. A special thank you goes out to Mermaidella for her kind review. (also my first review ever) Your advice was very helpful, so thanks again! Also thanks goes to all the others who reviewed or favorited my fanfic. You guys made my day! This particular fanfic was inspired by Permanent Marker by Taylor Swift. Also the credit for the idea for the movie Delusions was inspired by ninjahobit. You should watch their youtube video. It's good.

...

Sasuke waited patiently. He was sitting in an armchair of the lobby in Crunch gym. " What if she doesn't come," his doubts whispered. But she would. He knew she would. She was a gym fanatic. This would be the place where her deepest fears were put at rest, her inner passions brought out. Just like he felt at premiere's taking pictures. There! She was heading across the room toward the treadmill. As he neared her, she got on the treadmill. She began to run, slow at first, but then steadily increasing until she was sprinting. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Sasuke stepped up to her. The next thing he knew she was falling.

Her blue eyes looked up at him, wide and confused with traces of hurt. She was cradled in his arms. They stared at each other for a long time. "I'm sorry," he finally said and placed her carefully on the ground. No sooner had he done this that she put her head on his shoulder and burst into tears. A blush crept up on Sasuke's face. Not wanting to seem insensitive, he put a hand on her back and rubbed in reassuring circles. When her choking sobs had subsided, she slowly lifted her head. She managed a weary smile. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. Your shirt's all wet now." He shrugged.

"I have other shirts." Silence, heavy but not uncomfortable, settled between them.

"Nice day isn't it?" she said brightly.

" Hnn..."

" Do you like -"

"Ino," he cut off her pitifully attempted conversation. "who did this to you."

"Sasuke?"

"Who did this to you?" Ino stared at her feet.

"Ino," Sasuke persisted.

"It's nothing. I was stupid and naive. I should have known."

" Don't play games with me, Ino. I want to know who made you feel this way and I want to know now."

A shout from across the room turned heads and stopped their conversation. "Ino! Here you are, Baby. Why did you leave last night? I tried calling you but you didn't pick up." Shikamaru emerged from the lobby. He put his arm around Ino. Seeming to sense that he had interrupted something, he said worriedly, " Is everything all right? Who's this guy?" Ino pushed Shikamaru's arm off her.

"I think you should go now, Shikamaru. Go hang out with Temari." Terrible understanding dawned on Shikamaru's face.

"Oh. That."

"Yes that! How could you! I wasn't going to confront you about it but since you're here, I might as well. You stupid, unfeeling brute! You disgraceful heart-stealing dirt-bag! Going behind my back and everything. If you love her so much why didn't you just break up with me!"

" Ino. I'm sorry, Babe. You're right. I was a jerk, and I don't deserve you. I was only thinking about what I wanted. I'll call her right now and break it off. Just give me another chance. Please, Ino, I love you. I'll do anything for you. I'll spend more time with you. I'll get a membership here and we can work out together. It'll be everything you wanted. I'll be the best boyfriend you could have. I'll buy you anything, you just name it. Please, Baby. Don't leave me," Shikamaru pleaded.

Ino shook her head sorrowfully. " You just don't get do you? I loved you. I didn't mind that you had to work. I understood it, even. I loved you because of what we had. It already was perfect. You had to go and ruin it. Things like this can't be fixed. I don't want your apologies. I don't want your confessions. I don't want you to break it off with your girl. I don't want your time. I don't want your money. All I wanted was your love and devotion. Time and money mean nothing without that. You know why? Because love that can be bought isn't worth the money."

"So this is goodbye?" Shikamaru asked defeatedly.

" Yes. I'm sorry, Shikamaru. I loved you. I love you still, but it just won't work out between us. I... Maybe it's for the best. I guess... I guess I'll see you someday."

Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets glumly. "Yeah, sure. Fine." How could he have been so stupid? He had just lost the most important part of his life. Looking back, he wondered what he had ever found worthwhile in cheating on her. She was everything he had wanted. She was his perfect angel. Only now, she wasn't his anymore. Someday - someday soon, he judged- she would belong to someone else. And now he was stuck with a troublesome girl that he had never actually loved like he loved her. He really had blew it. He knew that always, as long as he lived - and he planned to live a long life-, he would never forget her. When he looked at his wife cooking dinner, he would remember the zucchini lasagna that they had made together. When he looked at her getting ready for the day, he would recall how beautiful Ino had looked at the premiere. When his wife nagged him about the toothpaste cap or the toilet seat he would remember how Ino had never been superficial enough to care about things like that. Instead, she would obsess over the romance of their relationship. Rather than taking their anniversary walk in the afternoon, they would take it at sunset. She enjoyed planning her birthday dinner on a rainy night so that he would kiss her in the downpour. She had already decided everything there was to decide about their wedding which they had talked about without actually talking about. (She wanted him to do a romantic, out-of-the-blue proposal, so he had to be careful about what he said about weddings in front of her.)

A sense of fore-boding brought him out of his musing. He looked around and saw that everyone had stopped working out, and all the women were giving him the death-glare. They were whispering to each other and pointing at him, blatant hate in their stares. He sweat-dropped. He knew it didn't take much to set some women off, and here he was in the midst of a whole bevvy of them, all popping their knuckles and giving him looks so murderous he had a good idea of what was coming.

" Idiot! How could you! Stupid low-life. Let's get him, girls!" A screaming Shikamaru was chased out of the gym by a shouting convoy of girls, all shaking their hand weights and resistance bands. Ino and Sasuke watched laughing as they ran him down the street and past the bend. When they had gone, Sasuke turned to stare intently at Ino.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said.

" I didn't want you to do something rash. I don't want you getting in trouble just because of me. I'm not worth it."

" I know you think you're perceptive, but there are somethings that you just don't know."

"Oh? Like what?" she teased.

"Like the fact that you're worth way more to me than a bit of trouble." She smiled.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I needed to hear that." He shrugged.

"Its the truth."

She sighed. " I better go. Tenten was going to take me out to brunch today, and I haven't changed or showered." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

" I don't think she'll mind if I borrow you. Come to Starbucks with me."

She paused, biting her lip. " I... Ok, thanks. I would love to. I'll call her right now." Sasuke waited patiently. She had suggested that he go see the view while she finished her call, but he was really watching her. To him, she was much more interesting than any over-polluted river. He looked on amusedly while she chatted with her friend. She was one of those people who used their hands when they talked, although she did it more gracefully than Sasuke had ever seen. When she was confused, she would pull anxiously on her ponytail, making increasingly frantic gestures. When she was happy she would take off her headband and play with it while her lovely, pealing laugh sounded. She was beautiful he realized again for the third time. She was beautiful, and he was falling for her.

He heard his name and made his way back to her. She was waiting, her phone safely in her purse, her arm reaching out to grab his hand.

" I'll take you in my car. When we're done I can take you back to get your car," he told her as they walked.

"Sounds good to me. And, Sasuke?" He looked curiously at her.

" Thanks again for this. It helps to take my mind off everything."

"... It helps me to have you near," he said in a hushed tone. Then so she could hear, he added, " I know it hurts now, but it'll end. You'll find someone else who means the world to you and you'll wonder why you loved him. A good friend of mine once told me, "Love makes time pass; time makes love pass." She punched his shoulder playfully.

"Oh they did, huh? Who is this mysterious friend?"

"Well," he said slowly, " she is blonde, beautiful and slightly eccentric. She goes to Crunch gym extremely early in the morning. She drives to Starbucks on the weekends and likes to get a latte with extra cream. She likes expensive jewelry, but is not someone who obsesses over perfection. Her favorite color is purple, a color which shows that she is royalty, not because she is rich, but because she is kind and gentle. She is the most insightful person that I know, and helped a brooding, sulky stranger see the joy in life. She showed him the light. And every time he sees her, he realizes again what a special person she is. Because she succeeded where scores of other women failed. She made him love again when he swore he never would." Sasuke reached to stroke her cheek. He heard her breath catch as he softly ran his finger down the hard line of her jaw. He saw the hesitation in the way she moved, and noticed the slight turn of her head when he backed her against the car.

"Why are you fighting me? I thought this is what you wanted?" he asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice. He couldn't lose another soul-mate. It would kill him. Tears gathered again in her blue eyes. He groaned inwardly. This was not going as he had planned. The last thing he had wanted to accomplish by saying that was make her cry.

She stammered, "I'm s-sorry. I do. I do want it. I- I'm in love with you too. B-but, it's so hard for me. It's just so early in the break up. My heart is so confused." He took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.

"I'm sorry, Ino. I understand. I know how vulnerable you're feeling. But I need you to give me a chance. Please. I would push myself off a cliff before hurting you. I promise." He brushed a stray hair out of her face. "I need you," he repeated again, poorly disguised urgency in his voice. He pulled her closer, and she let him embrace her. With his finger, he brushed a tear from her eye.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. Keeping eye contact, he slowly lifted her purse from her shoulder. After briefly rifling through it, he pulled out a familiar picture of a man. She watched as he then pulled something from his pocket. Curiously, she craned her neck over his shoulder. He propped the image on his car. Then, he took the sharpie in his hand and drew a large X over it. He turned back to her.

"He's over with. He never deserved you. He never really loved you like I do." he murmured. Ino was temporarily over come with a fit of giggles.

"That was the 'epic moment'? You thought I wouldn't want you to destroy his picture? You sure had me going there. I thought you were going to steal my wallet," she gasped between laughs. He frowned.

"I wouldn't steal your wallet," protested Sasuke.

"I know Sasuke," she reassured him. "But now it's my turn."

Sasuke cocked his eyebrow. " Your turn to what?" Without answering she plunged her hand into his left pocket and came up triumphantly with his wallet in hand. She undid the metal snap, and unsheathed a tiny clip from behind it's plastic sheath. She held it questioningly in front of Sasuke's face.

He grinned and gestured towards the picture. "Be my guest." Grabbing the sharpie Ino did a quick X over Sakura's face.

"Are we past all the security yet?"

She replied with a question of her own. "How do you know we would last?"

"What do you mean?"

" What makes us any different from the millions of other couples all staring into each other's eyes and saying exactly what you were saying? How do you know our relationship will survive?"

He kissed her lightly before she could protest. " Because, Ino, our forever's written in permanent marker."


End file.
